I get on my soapbox on a variety of issues but usually politics is one I keep close to the cuff. I try and listen to both sides but over this past presidential election I feel like that is very hard to do, more so everyday.
My first take on watching the "speech" was that I felt like I was watching a major league baseball game. Usually during the 7 inning stretch they at some point have the crowd doing the "wave". Was it just me or did it seem as though congress was doing the wave. I lost count on how many times they stood up. It was also like watching an exercise video.
I watched in laughter as Vice President Joe Biden and Speaker Nancy Pelosi looked like the two entertainment masks (one with a frown, one with a Cheshire cat grin).
President Obama mentioned how the first health care bill was introduced in 1943 by a Michigan representative and how his son was carrying on the fight for better health care. The speech was also not without mentioning Senator Kennedy's lifelong commitment to improving the health care system. I use the word "system" literally.
I remember back as a kid making frequent doctor visits. I was a child with many colds, ear infections and all the usual childhood issues. A call was made to our family physician, you met with the doctor and paid your bill. I don't recall that we had insurance until my early teen years when we started with the Kaiser Permanente HMO. My father worked for the fire department and they were the plan we had access too. Later when I was employed with the state I also had Kaiser so roughly I had them as an insurance carrier for approximately 15 years. In that period I gave birth to my children. I was always very happy with the quality of care and the doctors for the most part.. You paid one amount for your Dr. visit and at that time prescription's were $10.00. I was covered as an employee and paid for David and the kids which was a reasonable amount at the time..
When we moved to the mid-west it was the beginning of the insurance roller coaster. We have had to change insurance providers 4 times in 13 years and it seems to get worse than better.
In a nutshell I tried to listen as intently as possible last night and it sounded to me like Obama's plan has alot of shady areas, that I am not sure will really be good for our particular situation. Our options seem to get wrapped up in a pretty box and then once the box is opened the funny clown pops out.. Only my take..
When I look how it will affect the elderly (my in-laws) the only thing I can hear that I also heard from President Obama last night and ironically from my MIL yesterday is (I/they shouldn't have to make a decision on whether or not they should have enough money to pay their bills or buy prescription medication). Isn't it a sad state of affairs we have been put in the position to be in? I guess only time will tell...gee just one more thing you get to look forward to in the aging process.....
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